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A Guru is a teacher in Hindu-Dharma, Boddhi-Dharma, and Sikh-Dharma, as well as in many new religious movements. Based on a long traditional line of philosophical understanding as to the importance of knowledge, the guru is seen in these religions as a sacred conduit, or a way to self-realization. The importance of finding a true guru is described in the scriptures and teachings of religions in which a guru plays a role.
"Guru" also refers in Sanskrit to Brihaspati, a Hindu figure analogous to the Roman planet/god Jupiter. In Vedic astrology, Guru or Brihaspati is believed to exert teaching influences. Indeed, in many Indian languages such as Hindi, the occidental Thursday is called either Brihaspativaar or Guruvaar (vaar meaning day of the week).
In contemporary India, "guru" is widely used within the general meaning of "teacher". In Western usage, the original meaning of guru has been extended to cover anyone who acquires followers, though not necessarily in an established school of philosophy or religion. In a further metaphorical extension, guru is used to refer to a person who has authority because of his or her perceived knowledge or skills in a domain of expertise.
The word guru means "teacher" in Sanskrit, as well as in other languages derived from Sanskrit, such as Hindi, Punjabi, Marathi, Bengali and Gujarati. The word is attested from the Rigveda as an adjective meaning "heavy", its opposite being laghu "light".
The word holds a special place in Hinduism, signifying both the sacred place of knowledge (jnana) and the imparter of knowledge. The adjective meaning "heavy, weighty" is used in the sense of "heavy with knowledge", "heavy with spiritual wisdom", "heavy with spiritual weight", "heavy with the good qualities of scriptures and realization", "heavy with a wealth of knowledge".
A notable esoteric etymology or interpretation of the term "guru" is based on a metaphorical interplay between darkness and light, in which the Guru is seen as the dispeller of darkness. In some texts it is described that the syllables gu and ru stand for darkness and light, respectively.
The syllable gu means shadows
The syllable ru, he who disperses them,
Because of the power to disperse darkness
the guru is thus named.
Advayataraka Upanishad 14—18, verse 5)
A similar interpretation describes the guru as the one that "removes the darkness of ignorance" is based on the Guru Gita (literally "song of the spiritual teacher"), a spiritual text describing a dialogue between Shiva and his consort Parvati on the nature of the guru and the guru/disciple relationship.
In the Western Esotericism and the Science of Religion, Pierre Riffard, the author, makes a distinction between "esoteric etymologies" and "scientific etymologies" presenting as an example the etymology of "guru", in which the former is presented as ru ("to push away") and gu ("darkness"), and the latter as "guru" as "heavy".
Another etymology of the word "guru" found in the Guru Gita, includes gu as "beyond the qualities" and ru as "devoid of form", stating that "He who bestows that nature which trascend the qualities is said to be guru".
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GURU IN HINDU-DHARMA
The importance of finding a guru who can impart transcendental knowledge (vidya) is one of the tenets of Hindu-Dharma. One of the main Hindu texts, the Bhagavad Gita, is a dialogue between God in the form of Krishna and Arjuna a nobleman. Not only does their dialogue outline many of the ideals of Hindu-Dharma, but the discussion and relationship between the two considered to be an expression of the ideal Guru/disciple relationship. In the Gita itself, Krishna speaks of the importance of finding a guru to Arjuna:
Acquire the transcendental knowledge from a Self-realized master by humble reverence, by sincere inquiry, and by service. The wise ones who have realized the Truth will impart the Knowledge to you. (Bhagavad Gita, c4 s34)
In the sense mentioned above, guru is used more or less interchangeably with "satguru" (literally: true teacher) and satpurusha. And sometimes as Swami. The disciple of a guru is called a Sishya or Chela. Often, a guru lives in an ashram or in a gurukula (the guru's household) together with his disciples. The lineage of a guru, spread by worthy disciples who carry on that guru's particular message, is known as the guru parampara or disciplic succession.
Some influential gurus in the Hindu tradition (there have been many) include Adi Shankaracharya, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and Shri Ramakrishna. Other gurus whose legacy of continuing the Hindu yogic tradition grew in the 20th century were men like Shri Ram Chandra, Shri Aurobindo Ghosh, Shri Ramana Maharshi, Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati (The Sage of Kanchi), Swami Sivananda, Swami Chinmayananda and A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
In Indian culture, someone not having a guru or a teacher (acharya) was once looked down upon as being an orphan, and as under a sign of misfortune. The word anatha in Sanskrit means "the one without a teacher". An acharya is the giver of gyan (knowledge) in the form of shiksha (instruction). A guru also gives diksha initiation which is the spiritual awakening of the disciple by the grace of the guru. Diksha is also considered to be the procedure of bestowing the divine powers of a guru upon the disciple, through which the disciple progresses continuously along the path to divinity.
The origin of concept of "guru" can be traced as far back as the early Upanishads, where the conception of the Divine Teacher on earth first manifested from its early Brahmin associations.
There is an understanding in some sects that if the devotee were presented with the guru and God, first he would pay respect to the guru, since the guru had been instrumental in leading him to God. Gurus are said to be greater than God because they lead to God. Some traditions claim "Guru, God and Self (Self meaning soul, not personality) are one and the same. In this context, saints and poets in India, have expressed their views about the relationship between Guru and God:
Guru and God both appear before me. To whom should I prostrate?
I bow before Guru who introduced God to me.
- - - - - Kabir
It's my great fortune that I found Satguru, all my doubts are removed.
I bow before Guru. Guru's glory is greater than God's.
- - - - - Brahmanand
Guru is Shiva sans his three eyes,
Vishnu sans his four arms
Brahma sans his four heads.
He is parama Shiva himself in human form
- - - - - Brahmananda Purana
Guru is creator Brahma; Guru is preserver Vishnu; Guru is also the destroyer Siva
and he is the source of the Absolute. I offer all my salutations to the Guru.
Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu Guru Devo Maheshwara
Guru Sakshath Parambrahma Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha
- - - - - Adi Shankara
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GURU IN BODDHI-DHARMA
The guru's blessing is the last of the four foundations in Vajrayana Boddhi-Dharma. In this foundation, the disciple can continue in their experiential path on the way to the true nature of reality. The disciple regards the guru as the embodiment of Buddha, or a Bodhisattva, and he or she shows devotion and great appreciation toward the guru as such.
In the Theravada Boddhi tradition, the teacher is a valued and honoured mentor worthy of great respect and is a source of inspiration on the path to Enlightenment. In the Tibetan tradition, however, the teacher is viewed as the very root of spiritual realization and the basis of the entire path. Without the teacher, it is asserted, there can be no experience or insight. The guru is to be seen as the Buddha. In Tibetan texts, great emphasis is placed upon praising the virtues of the guru. Tantric teachings include generating visualizations of the guru and making offerings praising the guru. The guru becomes known as the vajra (literally "diamond") guru, the one who is the source of initiation into the tantric deity. The disciple is asked to enter into a series of vows and commitments which ensure the maintenance of the spiritual link, being told that to break this link is a serious downfall.
In tantric Boddhi, a guru is essential for initiation, practice and guidance along the path. The importance of a guru-disciple relationship is demonstrated by ritual empowerments or initiations where the student obtains permission to practice a particular tantra.
The Dalai Lama, speaking of the importance of the guru, said: "Rely on the teachings to evaluate a guru: Do not have blind faith, but also no blind criticism."
In Tibetan, the operative word is 'lama' which means 'guru'. A guru is someone who is not necessarily a Buddha but is heavy with knowledge. The term vajra is also used, meaning 'master'.
The guru plays a very special role in Vajrayana (tantric Buddhi) as the way itself. The guru is perceived as the "state of enlightenment". The guru is not an individual who initiates a person, but the person's own Buddha-nature reflected in the personality of the guru. In return, the disciple is expected to shows great devotion to his or her guru, who he or she regards as one who possesses the qualities of a Bodhisattva.
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GURU IN SIKH-DHARMA
The title Guru is extremely fundamental to the religion of the Sikhs. Indeed, the Sikhs have carried the meaning of the word to an even greater level of abstraction, while retaining the original usage, and apply it to an understanding of imparted knowledge through any medium.
Sikh-Dharma is derived from the Sanskrit word shishya, or disciple. The core beliefs of Sikhi are of belief in one God and in the teachings of the Ten Gurus, enshrined in the Shri Guru-Granthji, the Sikh holy book.
Guru Nanak, the first guru of Sikh-Dharma, was opposed to the caste system prevalent in his time in India and he accepted Hindus, Muslims and people from other religions as disciples. His followers referred to him as the Guru (teacher). Before his death he designated a new Guru to be his successor and to lead the Sikh community. This procedure was continued, and the tenth and last Guru, Guru Gobind (AD 1666–1708) initiated the Sikh ceremony in AD 1699.
For Sikhs, we are all the children of God and by deduction, God is our mother/father.
Guru Nanak in speaking about God, says:
There is but One God, His name is Truth, He is the Creator, He fears none,
he is without hate, He never dies, He is beyond the cycle of births and death,
He is self illuminated, He is realized by the kindness of the True Guru.
He was True in the beginning, He was True when the ages commenced
and has ever been True, He is also True now.
On the importance of guru, Nanak says:
Let no man in the world live in delusion.
Without a Guru none can cross over to the other shore.
Thanks
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A Guru is a teacher in Hindu-Dharma, Boddhi-Dharma, and Sikh-Dharma, as well as in many new religious movements. Based on a long traditional line of philosophical understanding as to the importance of knowledge, the guru is seen in these religions as a sacred conduit, or a way to self-realization. The importance of finding a true guru is described in the scriptures and teachings of religions in which a guru plays a role.
"Guru" also refers in Sanskrit to Brihaspati, a Hindu figure analogous to the Roman planet/god Jupiter. In Vedic astrology, Guru or Brihaspati is believed to exert teaching influences. Indeed, in many Indian languages such as Hindi, the occidental Thursday is called either Brihaspativaar or Guruvaar (vaar meaning day of the week).
In contemporary India, "guru" is widely used within the general meaning of "teacher". In Western usage, the original meaning of guru has been extended to cover anyone who acquires followers, though not necessarily in an established school of philosophy or religion. In a further metaphorical extension, guru is used to refer to a person who has authority because of his or her perceived knowledge or skills in a domain of expertise.
The word guru means "teacher" in Sanskrit, as well as in other languages derived from Sanskrit, such as Hindi, Punjabi, Marathi, Bengali and Gujarati. The word is attested from the Rigveda as an adjective meaning "heavy", its opposite being laghu "light".
The word holds a special place in Hinduism, signifying both the sacred place of knowledge (jnana) and the imparter of knowledge. The adjective meaning "heavy, weighty" is used in the sense of "heavy with knowledge", "heavy with spiritual wisdom", "heavy with spiritual weight", "heavy with the good qualities of scriptures and realization", "heavy with a wealth of knowledge".
A notable esoteric etymology or interpretation of the term "guru" is based on a metaphorical interplay between darkness and light, in which the Guru is seen as the dispeller of darkness. In some texts it is described that the syllables gu and ru stand for darkness and light, respectively.
The syllable gu means shadows
The syllable ru, he who disperses them,
Because of the power to disperse darkness
the guru is thus named.
Advayataraka Upanishad 14—18, verse 5)
A similar interpretation describes the guru as the one that "removes the darkness of ignorance" is based on the Guru Gita (literally "song of the spiritual teacher"), a spiritual text describing a dialogue between Shiva and his consort Parvati on the nature of the guru and the guru/disciple relationship.
In the Western Esotericism and the Science of Religion, Pierre Riffard, the author, makes a distinction between "esoteric etymologies" and "scientific etymologies" presenting as an example the etymology of "guru", in which the former is presented as ru ("to push away") and gu ("darkness"), and the latter as "guru" as "heavy".
Another etymology of the word "guru" found in the Guru Gita, includes gu as "beyond the qualities" and ru as "devoid of form", stating that "He who bestows that nature which trascend the qualities is said to be guru".
- -
- -
GURU IN HINDU-DHARMA
The importance of finding a guru who can impart transcendental knowledge (vidya) is one of the tenets of Hindu-Dharma. One of the main Hindu texts, the Bhagavad Gita, is a dialogue between God in the form of Krishna and Arjuna a nobleman. Not only does their dialogue outline many of the ideals of Hindu-Dharma, but the discussion and relationship between the two considered to be an expression of the ideal Guru/disciple relationship. In the Gita itself, Krishna speaks of the importance of finding a guru to Arjuna:
Acquire the transcendental knowledge from a Self-realized master by humble reverence, by sincere inquiry, and by service. The wise ones who have realized the Truth will impart the Knowledge to you. (Bhagavad Gita, c4 s34)
In the sense mentioned above, guru is used more or less interchangeably with "satguru" (literally: true teacher) and satpurusha. And sometimes as Swami. The disciple of a guru is called a Sishya or Chela. Often, a guru lives in an ashram or in a gurukula (the guru's household) together with his disciples. The lineage of a guru, spread by worthy disciples who carry on that guru's particular message, is known as the guru parampara or disciplic succession.
Some influential gurus in the Hindu tradition (there have been many) include Adi Shankaracharya, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and Shri Ramakrishna. Other gurus whose legacy of continuing the Hindu yogic tradition grew in the 20th century were men like Shri Ram Chandra, Shri Aurobindo Ghosh, Shri Ramana Maharshi, Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati (The Sage of Kanchi), Swami Sivananda, Swami Chinmayananda and A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
In Indian culture, someone not having a guru or a teacher (acharya) was once looked down upon as being an orphan, and as under a sign of misfortune. The word anatha in Sanskrit means "the one without a teacher". An acharya is the giver of gyan (knowledge) in the form of shiksha (instruction). A guru also gives diksha initiation which is the spiritual awakening of the disciple by the grace of the guru. Diksha is also considered to be the procedure of bestowing the divine powers of a guru upon the disciple, through which the disciple progresses continuously along the path to divinity.
The origin of concept of "guru" can be traced as far back as the early Upanishads, where the conception of the Divine Teacher on earth first manifested from its early Brahmin associations.
There is an understanding in some sects that if the devotee were presented with the guru and God, first he would pay respect to the guru, since the guru had been instrumental in leading him to God. Gurus are said to be greater than God because they lead to God. Some traditions claim "Guru, God and Self (Self meaning soul, not personality) are one and the same. In this context, saints and poets in India, have expressed their views about the relationship between Guru and God:
Guru and God both appear before me. To whom should I prostrate?
I bow before Guru who introduced God to me.
- - - - - Kabir
It's my great fortune that I found Satguru, all my doubts are removed.
I bow before Guru. Guru's glory is greater than God's.
- - - - - Brahmanand
Guru is Shiva sans his three eyes,
Vishnu sans his four arms
Brahma sans his four heads.
He is parama Shiva himself in human form
- - - - - Brahmananda Purana
Guru is creator Brahma; Guru is preserver Vishnu; Guru is also the destroyer Siva
and he is the source of the Absolute. I offer all my salutations to the Guru.
Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu Guru Devo Maheshwara
Guru Sakshath Parambrahma Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha
- - - - - Adi Shankara
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GURU IN BODDHI-DHARMA
The guru's blessing is the last of the four foundations in Vajrayana Boddhi-Dharma. In this foundation, the disciple can continue in their experiential path on the way to the true nature of reality. The disciple regards the guru as the embodiment of Buddha, or a Bodhisattva, and he or she shows devotion and great appreciation toward the guru as such.
In the Theravada Boddhi tradition, the teacher is a valued and honoured mentor worthy of great respect and is a source of inspiration on the path to Enlightenment. In the Tibetan tradition, however, the teacher is viewed as the very root of spiritual realization and the basis of the entire path. Without the teacher, it is asserted, there can be no experience or insight. The guru is to be seen as the Buddha. In Tibetan texts, great emphasis is placed upon praising the virtues of the guru. Tantric teachings include generating visualizations of the guru and making offerings praising the guru. The guru becomes known as the vajra (literally "diamond") guru, the one who is the source of initiation into the tantric deity. The disciple is asked to enter into a series of vows and commitments which ensure the maintenance of the spiritual link, being told that to break this link is a serious downfall.
In tantric Boddhi, a guru is essential for initiation, practice and guidance along the path. The importance of a guru-disciple relationship is demonstrated by ritual empowerments or initiations where the student obtains permission to practice a particular tantra.
The Dalai Lama, speaking of the importance of the guru, said: "Rely on the teachings to evaluate a guru: Do not have blind faith, but also no blind criticism."
In Tibetan, the operative word is 'lama' which means 'guru'. A guru is someone who is not necessarily a Buddha but is heavy with knowledge. The term vajra is also used, meaning 'master'.
The guru plays a very special role in Vajrayana (tantric Buddhi) as the way itself. The guru is perceived as the "state of enlightenment". The guru is not an individual who initiates a person, but the person's own Buddha-nature reflected in the personality of the guru. In return, the disciple is expected to shows great devotion to his or her guru, who he or she regards as one who possesses the qualities of a Bodhisattva.
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- -
GURU IN SIKH-DHARMA
The title Guru is extremely fundamental to the religion of the Sikhs. Indeed, the Sikhs have carried the meaning of the word to an even greater level of abstraction, while retaining the original usage, and apply it to an understanding of imparted knowledge through any medium.
Sikh-Dharma is derived from the Sanskrit word shishya, or disciple. The core beliefs of Sikhi are of belief in one God and in the teachings of the Ten Gurus, enshrined in the Shri Guru-Granthji, the Sikh holy book.
Guru Nanak, the first guru of Sikh-Dharma, was opposed to the caste system prevalent in his time in India and he accepted Hindus, Muslims and people from other religions as disciples. His followers referred to him as the Guru (teacher). Before his death he designated a new Guru to be his successor and to lead the Sikh community. This procedure was continued, and the tenth and last Guru, Guru Gobind (AD 1666–1708) initiated the Sikh ceremony in AD 1699.
For Sikhs, we are all the children of God and by deduction, God is our mother/father.
Guru Nanak in speaking about God, says:
There is but One God, His name is Truth, He is the Creator, He fears none,
he is without hate, He never dies, He is beyond the cycle of births and death,
He is self illuminated, He is realized by the kindness of the True Guru.
He was True in the beginning, He was True when the ages commenced
and has ever been True, He is also True now.
On the importance of guru, Nanak says:
Let no man in the world live in delusion.
Without a Guru none can cross over to the other shore.
Thanks
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